ALL NOVEL 70. Letting Go?
"Bang!"
Fred dodged a rock thrown at him, shouting to Bond and Hughes:
"Didn't Allen say these trolls were easy to get along with?"
"Why are they throwing rocks at us as soon as we meet?"
Hughes and Fred scrambled to avoid the stones of various sizes, running toward the only mountain path.
"Witchers... bad... apprentices... also bad..."
About forty meters away, three ugly creatures were shouting indistinctly. They were rock trolls.
Sturdy bodies, small eyes, sharp teeth, not as large as cyclopes, but their robust physique and rocky gray exteriors made them formidable, difficult-to-deal-with monsters.
"Is it because when you handed over the sword, you pointed the tip at them?" Hughes shouted at Fred, dodging a rock larger than his head.
"Huh? Was that it?" Fred paused, almost getting hit by an irregular black stone. He ran while recalling Allen's words from last night.
"The rock trolls are simple-minded. As long as you show no hostility, they'll let you pass."
"How do we show no hostility?"
"Just hand over your swords when they ask for them."
This was what Allen mentioned when talking about the final trial.
The method was derived from a game plot Allen summarized, where Geralt and Lambert handed over their weapons to rock trolls and were allowed to pass. However, Allen hadn't detailed it because he hadn't anticipated being separated from the other apprentices. At the time, while he had considered hunting the Foglet, he hadn't hoped for success.
In the dark cave, escaping from the Foglet was already a blessing. Even with the conjunction of the spheres summoning the drowners, he doubted his ability to sit back and watch the fight without getting caught. So his original plan was to pass the trial with Hughes and the others. But he hadn't expected the Foglet to cooperate by emerging from its lair.
Without Allen's guidance, the apprentices felt uncertain and nervous when facing these seemingly invincible monsters.
Fred, at the front of the group, was the first to be blocked by a snarling rock troll. Panicking, his mind went blank. He only remembered Allen's words about handing over the sword, so he drew his sword and pointed the tip at one of the trolls, "thrusting" it forward.
"Could it really be my fault?"
"Even if the direction was wrong, I didn't use force..."
Fred dodged another stone, questioning himself. Fortunately, their rigorous training allowed them to instinctively dodge by listening to the sound of falling rocks. Also, the rock trolls seemed more intent on venting frustration rather than killing them.
...
"Whoo!"
Exiting the hunting mode, Allen exhaled, wiping the blood splattered on his face. He used two more doses of essence to restore his stamina. This was his first time standing steadily after using the [Monster Hunt] skill to kill a monster. Previously, the skill drained his stamina, and combined with the physical exertion of running and jumping, he often collapsed afterward.
But with increased physical endurance, this might not happen as often in the future... right?
Allen felt a bit uncertain. The [Hunting] skill consumed 50 stamina points per level, and as his attributes increased, it would become increasingly difficult to maintain.
"Oh well, take it one step at a time," Allen thought.
The mechanical voice of the hunting log had not yet sounded.
Without panic, Allen took a deep breath and re-entered [Monster Hunt].
In his mental perception, the magical aura of the Drowner King was steadily weakening, indicating its imminent death. Allen cautiously increased the hunting progress, consuming a few more doses of the drowner essence.
A moment later.
"Ding! [Monster Hunt] progress 100%"
The red footprints reappeared, this time leading directly to the Drowner King's neck.
Unsurprisingly, with a "pfft," Elsa's silver light flashed.
[Ding! Monster "Drowner King" Lv26, "Cyclops" LV24 defeated!]
[Reward Settlement: Overcoming enemy, base rating D, Overlevel kill +3—C, Decapitation intimidation +3—B, Drive wolves to devour tigers +3—A, Winning against odds +1—S-]
[Final Rating: S- (Rewards *2)]
[Obtained Spoils: Drowner King's Heart Essence 2, Cyclops's Heart Essence 2, Experience Beads 26, Drowner King's Treasure Chest 12, Cyclops's Treasure Chest *12]
The system's notification sounds rang chaotically in Allen's mind, gradually quieting down.
"Bang!"
At this moment, the drowner king's large head fell to the ground. The neck's wound hardly bled. But Allen's attention was no longer on the two monsters or the evaluations and rewards.
Splash~ Splash~ Splash~
Before the Foglet's cave, blood had formed a small river. Allen stepped through the blood, finding a dry corner to sit. Since his transmigration, the High Mountain Trial had been a constant weight on his mind, now finally resolved with the death of the Foglet and Cyclops. Only a group of simple trolls to deal with and activating the school emblem stood between Allen and becoming a true witcher.
"Whoo~"
Allen exhaled, laying Elsa on his lap, gazing ahead.
From near to far, Killer Lake showed distinct layers. Though the blood from the drowner king and Foglet dyed only a small area red, the further waters remained clear, framed by white trees and snowy mountains.
"Swoosh~ Swoosh~"
For the first time since the High Mountain Trial began, Allen heard the lake's serene, soothing sound. It seemed to cleanse all distractions, releasing all obsessions...
"Sigh~"
Allen sighed.
"It's not time to let go yet." He told himself.
"The defense of Kaer Morhen is coming, it's not time to let go, not time to relax..." He repeated. But even so.
"Just for now..."
He gazed into the distant white, his eyes relaxed as he murmured: "Let me rest without thinking about anything, just for a while..."
...
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71. Can Talk Your Way Through?
72. Could It Be Such a Coincidence?
73. Don't Add to the Chaos!
74. A New Type of Task.
75. The Circle of Elements.